Bertoldo Buzz

Tickle Time

2012-01-28T21:18:00.001-07:00

It was a long week without Daddy! He is in his surgery rotation which means he is gone before the kids wake up and home after they are in bed. I asked the boys to help me clean up the house for Daddy and they were excited to help. They picked up all of the toys and even wanted to vacuum and mop!

I rewarded them with cereal for dinner and letting them stay up until Daddy got home. Nate didn't even get his shoes off before Jackson was asking to be tickled!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Playing Twister

2012-01-26T18:41:00.001-07:00

We had a crazy morning yesterday. I went in the kitchen to make Ryan's lunch and saw that I had 17 missed calls from Nate. I still had my phone on vibrate so I didn't hear it ring. He told me there was a tornado warning because 2 tornados were spotted within 10 miles of our house. I grabbed the laptop and weather radio and we headed to the bathroom! The boys freaked out every time I left the bathroom. We only had to play hide from the tornado for a few minutes thankfully.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2012-01-19T15:45:00.001-07:00

It was a beautiful day today and Jackson and Ella were actually awake when it was time to pick up Ryan so we decided to walk.

Ryan was surprised to see us since he is usually the last one to be picked up. I try to let Ella sleep as long as possible.

Ella kept trying to grab the flag on Jackson's 3 wheeler. She really loves riding in the stroller like a big girl now.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Beautiful day

Ella- 8 months

2012-01-16T22:50:00.001-07:00

My baby girl is 8 months old today:( She is growing too fast. Ella is already crawling and trying to pull up on things. I think she did the army crawl for maybe a day or two. She has two teeth now too.

I still love to dress her up everyday like a little baby doll. I don't think that will ever change:)

She loves to make cute sounds with her lips and waves hi and bye too.

And she finally graduated to the big girl tub with her brothers. They were just as excited as she was.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Ready for church

2012-01-11T09:33:00.001-07:00

Well we survived our first Sunday without Daddy. He had to be at the hospital all weekend for his surgery rotation. We didn't make it there on time but we made it! The kids finally got to wear their Christmas outfits and Jackson had his first day of Primary. He was so excited to go and he was proud that he "didn't cry at all." We love 9 o'clock church too. Time for a nap and a family bike ride. It is going to be a great year of Sundays:)

Just another Saturday

2012-01-07T12:58:00.001-07:00

My goal this year is to get back to blogging. I have been drowning in photos for the past year with no time to edit my own family. Sadly, I still haven't blogged the boy's birthdays from last year and they are about to happen again. I really want them to have a record of their childhood so I am going to try to care less about how perfect the pictures look and just focus on getting something posted.

Ella is happy to watch her brothers from the stroller. I'm sure that won't last too long since she started crawling a few days ago. Ryan and Jackson were so excited. Mommy was not. Just one more step away from being a baby. She also started pulling off her bows and headbands. Breaks.my.heart!

Jackson asked Santa for a "motor" for Christmas. He very happy to have the jeep up and running again. Eating while driving.... Watch out! He goes between that and riding his bike without training wheels!

Ryan got a pogo stick for Christmas. I can't believe how quickly he learned to use it. I shouldn't have been too surprised. He was riding a bike at 3 1/2 too. He was so proud of himself and jumped until his cheeks were bright red! P.S. He dressed himself;)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Humpty Dumpty

2011-10-03T18:38:00.001-06:00

I had a conference with Mrs.Carter this morning and got a great report! Ryan is doing great in Kindergarten and she loves having him in her class. She invited me to stay for their Humpty Dumpty activity. They dud a little cause/effect lesson and then made deviled eggs for a snack.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Little Aggies

2011-10-03T18:26:00.001-06:00

The boys found these cute hats while we were shopping at Walmart today. I couldn't resist taking a picture.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Brothers

2011-08-06T09:30:00.001-06:00

Shopping for a fish at Petco

Playing in the mud

Trip to the fire station

Funny hats at Target

Ready for bed after their date with Mommy

Playing in the rain

Swimming at Aunt Emmy's

Playing trains and not fighting:)

Pull-up men to the rescue!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2011-08-01T12:12:00.000-06:00

All Around Girl Birth Announcement

Announcements for every life event: graduation, wedding & baby.

View the entire collection of cards.

2011-04-15T21:14:00.000-06:00

Ryan's School Carnival

Mimi and Papa got to come with us to Ryan's preschool carnival while they were in town for the baby shower. I was all about the 4:2 ratio since they wanted to do different things at the same time.

Ryan LOVES the mighty trikes so he wanted to race in the "Road Rally".

His first race around the track he got 2nd place but that wasn't good enough. My competitive little boy had to beat the first place time.

.........and he was so proud of himself when he did! It only took him a few times around to beat the winner and then he wanted to keep racing to beat his own time. He never did beat it but he got out a lot of energy trying:)

Jackson couldn't reach the pedals so big brother gave him a little extra push to the finish line!

Hammering fossils for treasure

Jackson can't wait to go to preschool in the fall so he can catch minnows in the pond

Their school is all about nature and exploring. Perfect for my boys! They had snails towing cars. The boys thought it was pretty funny.

Note to self: bring my good camera next time. My point and shoot is worthless!

2011-04-12T14:39:00.000-06:00

CS Baby Shower

My church friends through me an shower to celebrate our baby girl too. I have the BEST friends. I had one friend drive in from Houston and another from San Antonio.

Two of my hostesses (Heather and Leslie)

My Mom was able to come down too and gave me this cute diaper bag!

I forgot to get a big group shot before everyone left, but here are a few of my friends that were there.

Just a few of my favorite outfits I got at the shower

Ohhhh how I can't wait to dress her up!

2011-04-11T15:23:00.000-06:00

Bluebonnets

We had to take a little road trip to find some good bluebonnets this year. They were some pretty sad little patches due to the lack of rain so my friend Cori and I took our kids down the road to Independence. We found the perfect little spot. The boys had a blast collecting lady bugs in the field of bluebonnets. We will be coming back to this spot again next year for sure. I really should have given them haircuts before I took these pics but I was just glad we were able to get them done.

Ryan wasn't really into having his picture made which is why most of them are of Jackson. Love the grass stain on his jeans...that's my boy!

This one makes me laugh. He is showing me the lady bug he has on the tip of his middle finger:)

If I could only get this kid to open his big blue eyes!

Where are you going ladybug?

Still watching the ladybug

He thought it was hilarious that he got to go potty in the bluebonnets!

Ryan's ladybug collection we had to bring home with us. He didn't want to leave his new little friends.

2011-03-20T20:43:00.004-06:00

Maternity/Family pics

My friend Cori took some maternity pictures for me and she did an awesome job. These were taken at 30 weeks.

LOVE this family pic!

These are just a few of my favorites. I have to say I enjoy being behind the camera a lot more than being in front of it.

2011-03-13T20:29:00.001-06:00

Gone Fishin'

While the girls were at the baby shower.....the boys went fishing. Ryan is already good at telling fish tales. He said he caught 8 when I think it was more like 3. They also went to Pops for a soda and to their first Monster Truck Jam with Papa and Uncle Mark. It was a good day of male bonding for sure.

2011-03-12T04:29:00.000-07:00

Oklahoma Baby Shower

My sweet Aunts through me a baby shower in Oklahoma a few weeks ago. Nate had to study for a test, so I drove up with the boys by myself. I was preparing for the longest 9 hours of my life, but they did great. We actually made it in 6.5 hours and without any whining or crying! I was so nervous they was going to be another snow storm and we would have to cancel the shower like we did with Ryan's 5 years ago, but the weather was perfect. It was fun to get all of the women in my family together and celebrate the new little girl that we will be adding to the party.

My Hostesses (Aunt Sheri, Aunt Babs, and Aunt Anne)

A few of my Nana's friends came too. The only thing that would have made it better is if my Nana could have been there. I can't believe she has been gone for 15 years now. I miss her so much. We don't have a first name for our baby girl yet, but her middle name will be Marilyn after my Nana.

My Aunt Martha and Uncle Mark crocheted and knitted hats and flowers for her. They are so adorable and I can't wait to put them on her sweet little head.

Nate has this rule that the flower or bow can't be more than a fourth of the size of her head. Good thing he isn't around much to enforce that rule :)

The little lollipops on the present are washcloths. Too cute to unwrap if you ask me!

I think this little white dress might be her coming home outfit if it fits her. It says 6-8 lbs and we like to grow them big, so I guess we will have to wait and see. I am already measuring 3 weeks ahead and she is already 3 lbs so it isn't looking good.

2011-03-06T21:10:00.000-07:00

Third Trimester...Here we come!

Wow...I can't believe I am already 7 months along and this is my first blog post about the baby! I have spent all of my "free time" either editing photo shoots to pay for her diapers or behind the sewing machine making her things. I think I have made at least 20 bows/flowers/headbands for her already. So excited to have a little girl to dress up! I can't wait to have a precious little baby in the house again. Her brothers can't wait either. They both wanted a baby sister. I am excited to see what she looks like too since Ryan is 100% Daddy and Jackson is 100% Mommy. Will she be a good combo? I am guessing she will have more hair than Jackson, but not as much as Ryan according to my heartburn theory.

21 weeks

25 weeks

27 weeks

We have another ultrasound this week. Hopefully we will get another confirmation that she is still a girl!

2011-02-14T20:06:00.019-07:00

My Little Valentines

Ryan was so excited to put together his Valentines this year for all of his friends at school. I loved the fact that he had to practice writing his name 16 times and liked it :) His teacher tries to keep sugar out of the classroom as much as possible so I thought she would appreciate the pencil Valentines.

LOVE these boys!

2011-02-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

Snow Day 2011

We had another Snow Day again this year! The boys wanted to go outside as soon as they woke up, but I convinced them to wait until Daddy woke up from his late night of studying so we could all play together.

The boys had fun driving their trucks through the snow and making snow balls.

Ryan enjoyed throwing them at Daddy!

They saw our neighbors sledding down the driveway and decided they had to try it too. I think the picture says it all...he LOVED it!

Ryan went almost all the way to the curb on the opposite side of the street.

Poor Jackson was having some hat issues, but he didn't seem to care.

Jackson proudly carried the sled up the "hill" all by himself.

They put Daddy to work pushing them down the driveway.

Ryan put Jackson to work when Daddy got tired. My little dare devil had to try it head first too.

LOVE this picture. I had to bribe them with hot chocolate and marshmallows to get this picture and to get them to come inside. They could definitely survive in a colder climate...not sure I could though:)

2011-01-15T22:16:00.000-07:00

Tubing on Christmas Day

We took the boys tubing on Christmas day. I wasn't sure if Jackson would even do it. Boy was I wrong! He LOVED it and kept asking Daddy to take him again after each run.

It was so fun to watch him wiggle is cute little bum out of the tube every time.

I couldn't believe they sent my baby down by himself, but he wasn't scared at all. Nate said they let Jackson go while he was getting in his tube!

The boys

Ryan surprised me too! He went down the big hill behind him in the picture and the smaller one a few times, but decided he would rather watch with Mommy and Mimi. I think he was too cold which is also a first for him.

The bottom of the hill was pretty rough. I love the expression on my brother's face.

It was really cold, but we all had a lot of fun. Jackson and Daddy closed the park down with the last run.

2010-12-29T21:02:00.000-07:00

Christmas with Mimi and Papa

We spent Christmas with Mimi, Papa, and Uncle Adam this year in Oklahoma. The boys put cookies and milk out for Santa on Christmas Eve and wrote him a letter too.

They were excited to find that Santa left them a cookie to eat on Christmas morning.

Jackson got a monster truck from Santa, but I am pretty sure he was more excited about his Elmo toothbrush than any of his other presents. Such a silly boy!

Ryan got the aircraft carrier he wanted from Santa.

I put too many dough balls in our traditional bubble bread breakfast, so Jackson helped Papa clean out the oven. That boy loves to clean!

2010-12-28T20:37:00.001-07:00

Christmas with Nona and Grandpa

We went down to San Antonio for a few days to have Christmas with Nona Grandpa. Ryan loved his Buzz Lightyear laptop and it made the car ride to Oklahoma a little easier too.

We loved the new Bible book because we needed more activities to keep the boys busy and quiet at church.

Aunt Emmy and Uncle Andy gave the boys some marshmallow shooters.

They were a huge hit!

2010-12-22T11:35:00.103-07:00

Funnies

I still can't believe my babies are 4 1/2 and 2 1/2 years old. It makes sad to think how fast the years are flying by even though some days seem to drag on forever! I have a quote I am going to put on our photo wall that says "Don't count the days. Make the days count." I think it will be a constant reminder for us that they won't stay little forever.

RYAN at 4 1/2
Ryan is still 120% boy! He still loves to drive his trucks in the dirt pile, brings me lizards, crash his cars, and wants to be a fighter pilot. He is into jets and anything that flies in the air right now. He loves to play with his little brother and they play well together most of the time. He can't wait to share a room with Jackson too. Here are a few of his funnies:

Ahh carrot sugar!
Ahh pepper fish!
He asked, "Why did that lady color on herself"? That is not a good choice Mommy! (referring to a tattoo)
This is a stickuation (A sticky situation)
We asked him, "What does Heavenly Father want you to do before bed." His answer was to floss. We were looking for prayer, but we'll take it.
We were told by a few of his primary teachers that he is the best singer in Jr. Primary.
He also broke his first window trying to get a lizard off the neighbor's house with a rock! That only cost us $120 to fix! I told him I am keeping a tab:)
One day he told Jackson to stop being a one man show.....they watched Cars a lot on our road trip to Oklahoma!
Ryan needed socks for soccer practice and his only pair were dirty. I figured mine would be the perfect size to fit over his foot and hold the shin guard. I found some black socks that I wear with boots and Ryan said, "Those are fancy." Man am I glad he put them on before we went to practice. They were FANCY! I didn't realized they were the lace looking ones that really looked fancy when they were stretched out with a shin guard! Poor kid would have been laughed right off the field!
Jackson wanted to hug Ryan after lunch and Ryan told him, "Jackson, I like you, but you are messy!"
Ryan informed us the other day that he knows all of his letters and he has for awhile now. He just didn't want us to know. That is sooooo Ryan:) Love that boy!

JACKSON at 2 1/2
Jackson is quite the little talker! He is talking so much more than Ryan did at this age, but I guess that is because he has a big brother to keep up with. He has been cracking us up over the last couple of months. Here are a few of the things I have written down:

He has started yelling "Come wipe me" if he wants me to come quickly since he know that is what happens when his big brother says it.
He saw Santa on TV and told him, "Santa, bring me a monster truck!"
He would also sing Santa Claus is coming to town in bed every night during December.
He LOVES baby Elmo! He carries him all over the house and loves to sleep with him too. Ryan wouldn't give him back one day, so Jackson tackled him at full speed yelling, "give me my Elmo back!" He also prayed for baby Elmo to be healthy like the baby in Mommy's belly.
He is still Mommy's boy! "Mama, I want you". He refused to go to nursery for the past few months, but has finally started going again and says it is "fun". Last week he walked to the church nursery repeating, "I be happy. I not cry."
He had made up a word "koo ka" and sometimes calls us Mommy Koo Ka and Daddy Koo Ka.
No way Jose'! Pretty sure he learned this one from big bro!
Why? Why? Why?......he is definitely in the WHY stage!
He asks us to wait a "tiny, tiny minute" if he needs a little extra time to do something.
This one is my favorite. If Ryan is doing something he isn't supposed to, Jackson will say "I not do it Mommy." I can't believe he is already trying to play the "good kid" card!

2010-12-21T21:06:00.039-07:00

Christmas Fun

We went to visit Santa at the tractor store again this year. The boys were so excited until it was their turn and then I had one wrapped around each of my ankles. i finally convinced them to sit next to him for a picture. I didn't realize it was going to be inside this year, so I didn't have my good flash with me. Not one of my best pics for sure.

I made Texas size Oreos for my MOPS cookie exchange this year and won for best tasting cookie! I have to admit.....they were pretty dang good!

Of course.....we did our share of baking too. Ryan helped me make our traditional cheese straws for his teachers and our neighbors.

Jackson just looked cute "helping" too.

I found these cute little elf hats at the dollar store for the boys to wear to a Christmas party.

Santa, Rudolph, and our two little elves

It wouldn't be Christmas without a trip to the Bass Pro Shop! Ryan had a blast shooting the little Red Ryder gun. I love how his little nose is all wrinkled up! He is going to love going hunting with Daddy someday.

Poor Jackson had to use the pink one. This is such a classic Jackson face. I love it!

Pretending to drive the 4 wheeler

Daddy and his boys hanging out in the UGLY camo recliners.

We had planned to get pictures with Santa that day, but the line was really long and it was almost nap time. We decided to give another family our ticket in line instead. Maybe next year!

2010-12-20T23:41:00.001-07:00

Christmas for the Birds

I volunteered to help out with Christmas for the Birds at Ryan's preschool. Jackson had fun riding the trikes waiting for Ry to finish music class.

We dipped pine cones in melted Crisco and let the kids roll them in bird seed.

The picture says it all.....Jackson loved making the bird feeders too. This one was a orange rind that we poked a pipe cleaner through to make a basket and then filled it with bird seed.

Ryan climbed on top of the playhouse so he could hang it on the tallest tree.

Getting some help from Mrs. Hatch with his cranberries and popcorn.

Ryan's preschool put on a nativity play and the kids each played a different role each day for a week. Ryan was a sheep and the inn keeper, but was the angel on the day we went to watch him. he did a great job saying his lines and was one of a few who actually sang the songs. Jackson congratulated him with a hug after the play.

Molly and Ryan

2010-12-19T10:21:00.004-07:00

Turkey Day 2010

We spent Thanksgiving with Nate's family this year. We fried our turkey again and even tried some fried corn fritters too.

The boys played in the kayaks while Daddy and Grandpa fried the turkey.

The Master Turkey Fryer

2010-12-18T20:03:00.003-07:00

Fall Photo Shoot

I wanted to check out a new location for photo shoots and I needed some new pics of the boys, so I decided to get them dressed up one afternoon and take some pics of my two favorite subjects. Ryan LOVED the idea (he is always asking to go with me to my shoots) and Jackson loves whatever Ryan does. One of his new favorite phrases is "Ryan, you my friend."

I have so many pics of Jackson smiling at his big brother just like this. I hope they are always this close!

They started sword fighting with the sticks in their hands right after this picture. Gotta love boys!

Jackson wasn't as excited about having his picture taken that day, but i love this one anyway because it shows his fat little hands.

Ry catching butterflies as the sun sets. One of Ryan's favorite things to do outside.

2010-12-16T20:22:00.004-07:00

My little helper

Ryan is sadly getting to the age where he no longer needs a nap. He still has to play quietly in his room and will usually fall asleep, but not always. He surprised me one day by cleaning up all the toys and cleaning his room while I was taking a nap with Jackson. He even lined up all of the shoes in the entryway! (We have a bench with baskets for all of the shoes, but it is the thought that counts.)

I know their room looks a little sad right now, but hopefully not for too much longer. They were taking turns "camping out" on the floor until it got colder and now we have Jackson on the guest bed until we can get a bed for him which will hopefully be soon because he asks to sleep in Ry Ry's room every night.

I found their matching comforters months ago at TJ Max and I can't wait to put them on their beds. They are Pottery Barn style on a Walmart budget!

2010-12-13T21:00:00.004-07:00

Air Show
We went down to San Antonio in early November to see the Thunderbirds at the air show. Jackson got to spend the day with Aunt Emmy. Thanks Aunt Emmy and Uncle Andy! It was my first air show too and I think we all had as much fun as Ryan did.

He had a front row seat to watch the jets take off and land.

You can see Nona and Grandpa's reflection in his sunglasses.We gave him ear plugs because it was so loud!

Enjoying a funnel cake with Grandpa

Picking out his souvenir

Our future fighter pilot flying his jet home

It is so fun to watch him fly his jets now. He has them do all kinds of tricks just like the Thunderbirds and he wants an aircraft carrier and jets from Santa this year.

2010-12-12T22:30:00.000-07:00

Day with Thomas
Nate had a rare weekend off at the end of October and was nice enough to agree to take the boys to see Thomas the Tank Engine in Rusk. We met our friends, the Beams, which made the day even more fun and the five hours in the car even more worth it. They started screaming when they saw an ambulance in front of the huge Thomas train. Not sure how they missed the train, but it made us both laugh that we drove 2 1/2 hours when we have a fire station right outside our neighborhood. They had a blast playing with all of the trains and the smiles on their faces made it worth every penny.

Ryan chose to put his "stamp" on his forehead.

Jackson loved digging for treasure while the big boys jumped in the bouncy houses.

I LOVE this picture!

This one makes me laugh!

On the way home we asked Ryan what his favorite thing was and he said "the puppies in the petting zoo." Maybe we should have saved our money and just taken him to the pet store:)

Jackson, on the other hand, is terrified of dogs.

Ryan used to be so scared of people dressed up as characters, but I guess he is finally over it. He walked right up to Sir Topham Hat and held his hand!

We saw Mater on the way home so we stopped to take a few pics with him too.

It was a great day and it was fun to go on a little family day trip together.

2010-11-07T23:08:00.002-07:00

Halloween 2010

I found a few kits on clearance after Halloween last year so we skipped the carving and decorated our pumpkins Mr. Potato Head style this year. The boys loved it as much as we did...NO MESS!

Daddy took a study break to help us poke holes in them with a meat thermometer.

I took these pics before our church Trunk or Treat. I told them we would go as soon as they took a good picture....never underestimate the power of candy:)

I bought McQueen on clearance last year too. I had no idea how hard it would be to get my hands on mater though. They don't sell the mater costume anymore so people on ebay were selling them for more than they paid. Daddy finally found one on craigslist for a reasonable price in San Antonio and she mailed it to us.

This one is my favorite! Do you think they love each other?

I thought it would be cute to put a little "car grease" on their faces too. They had some fun with the black face paint.

Nona and PeePaw came up to visit and watch Ryan sing in the Primary program.

We also went to a local pumpkin patch with MOPS. This was the first time they wore their long sleeve skeleton shirts. It was the end of October, but still too hot for long sleeves.....only in Texas:( I guess I will buy short sleeve shirts next year!

Oh boy...did they have some fun in the hay!

2010-10-24T21:59:00.000-06:00

Dewberry Farm

I took the kids to Dewberry Farm in Katy a few weeks ago. They had a blast!!!! Ryan is still talking about the "pumpkin patch."

Ryan was so cute holding Madison's hand as they walked across the bridge.

They both loved the jumpy pillows

They each got to pick out one small pumpkin, but both had a hard time picking just one.

Ryan loved feeding the goats

My little animal lover trying to pet the baby chicks

Ryan saw the rope swings and was excited to swing just like Diego!

He said the race cars were his favorite part

I think the zip line was a close second though

I thought this would be cute to measure how much they will have grown when we go back again next year

This was the best measurement i could get of Jackson. He wanted to watch the talking chicken show instead.

I think we will have to go back before Christmas with Daddy and visit the Christmas tree farm!

2010-10-17T21:03:00.002-06:00

Big Boy

Jackson moved out of the crib and into Ryan's room about a month ago which means he made it 13 months longer than Ryan. We wanted to keep them in separate rooms as long as possible, but Jackson had other plans. After a few weeks of crying every night at bedtime and nap time, Daddy decided to put him in Ryan's room. I thought he was crazy, but he went to sleep almost instantly with no crying!!!! I guess he just needed a buddy. The next morning Ryan asked me if they could share a room forever. Ryan usually like to "camp out" on his floor which is great since we aren't getting another bed until Christmas, but we found them like this the other night. Papa is going to build them matching beds for Christmas. We decided against bunk beds for now. I am trying to stay out of the ER as long as possible:)

2010-10-07T08:30:00.000-06:00

Ryan's First Soccer Game

We had so much fun watching Ryan play in his first soccer game. The little girl behind him is a friend from preschool and when we asked him if he was excited to play soccer he said, "I'm excited to see Molly." Boy are we going to be in trouble!

Kicking the ball just like Daddy taught him

Getting a little coaching from Daddy after he scored two goals for the other team

I love how his tongue is sticking out while he is running after the ball

Playing a little defense

Mimi and Papa were there to cheer him on too

Future soccer player in training

Throwing the ball in like a pro

They don't really have goalies,but the other team had to try something to keep us from scoring.

Victory snacks after the game

He scored 6 goals!!! I think we had as much fun watching him as he did playing!

2010-09-30T22:49:00.001-06:00

Boys will be boys!!!!!

Looks like I have two more little "gamers" in my house. Ryan asked to go to the dentist everyday for a month because they have Mario cart. We decided it might be a good reward for him so we gave in and bought him his first video game (Cars "Race-a-Rama"). I can get that boy to do almost anything not to loose his game time. Jackson loves to "play" too and has no idea his controller isn't on.

This is pretty funny....We went to our church bar-b-que the other night and didn't realized Jackson picked up the start of a name tag and was wearing it for most of the night. Someone asked me what his name was and that is when I realized he was walking around with "As" on his shirt.

Riding the train at Toys R Us. We took them for the Thomas day, but it was a real bust so we went to shop for soccer gear instead.

Just having a little fun in Academy

Jackson loves to be just like big brother!

Ryan had to give the cleats a test drive before we left the store.

Ryan's first broken window! He said he was trying to get a lizard off the neighbor's house with a rock. He was supposed to be taking out the trash.

2010-09-11T23:20:00.000-06:00

Preschool Open House

Ryan and Jackson had a great time at his preschool open house. I can't enough great things about his preschool. They have an amazing outdoor play area which is so perfect for him.

Jackson had a good time getting a ride from the big boys since he can't reach the pedals yet.

They loved the work bench too. I still think it is a little scary they are using a real saw, hammer, and nails.

2010-09-11T22:40:00.000-06:00

Girls Weekend

I have been waiting for this weekend since we got together last summer! I think it is amazing that we were even able to get all 7 of us back together again, since 4 of us have moved away. We all met for lunch at Taco Cabana with the kiddos on Friday, but couldn't wait for our husbands to get home(or in my case.... my Mom) so we could go downtown and check into our hotel.

Ryan and Isabelle

Livi and Lexie

Becca brought her "hair ripper outer". I didn't even make it through half of one leg. Shaving is not that bad!

We stayed at the Hotel Contessa in downtown San Antonio.

All reading Mockingjay

Dinner on the Riverwalk

Lots of eating, talking, massages, and shopping! It was an awesome weekend!

2010-09-11T21:10:00.000-06:00

Rye Beach, NH

We went to New Hampshire for a week at the beginning of August. We were there for Nate's family reunion. His Uncle owns a house within walking distance to the beach. The water was freezing cold, but that didn't seem to bother Ryan. He had a blast riding the waves with his Daddy.

He was doing great until he rode this last wave. Uncle John and Daddy let him go a little too early and he crashed pretty bad.

......and he was DONE!

Jackson LOVED the beach and still asks to go back again all the time.

I was a little worried how nap time would play out, but Jackson did great. He fell asleep eating a cracker on a beach towel the first day and we used that trick a few more times on our trip.

Mommy's seashell collector

Jackson loved building sand castles with his cousins too.

I finally talked myself into getting into the freezing water on our last beach day. It wasn't too bad once my body went numb! The waves were huge that day, so it was worth it.

My little beach bum! He had a dirty diaper, so Daddy took him down to the ocean for a second rinse.

2010-09-11T19:32:00.000-06:00

The Big 29

We celebrated my birthday in San Antonio this year with my parents. We took the boys to the park after church and ended up eating cake and ice cream for dinner. You can't ask for a better birthday than that.

2010-09-09T22:12:00.000-06:00

One fish two fish.........

We have done a lot of swimming this summer. My boys LOVE to be outside and it is just too hot to do anything else. Here are a few of my favorites from the summer.

Nate had the summer off from school, so we took advantage of our family pool pass.

Look at that form!

Ryan does almost a belly flop every time he "dives" in, but it doesn't seem to bother him.

Learning to blow bubbles

2010-09-09T21:41:00.002-06:00

Jackson's tubes

Jackson had tubes put in in July. Jackson was so funny at the ENT's office for the consult. He was shooting the doctor with his "finger guns" when he walked in the door. He did it with the doctor the the day of the surgery too.

He loved the ring pop they gave him too.

We had to be at the hospital at 6 am for the surgery and they gave Jackson this cute little bear. The doctor got there early so they started the surgery 30 minutes ahead of schedule and we were out of there by 8. Jackson didn't cry when they took him back because he had a great nurse come get him that looked like a "Papa" so he wasn't scared. The surgery was only 10 minutes long and they let me sit with him in recovery. There was a sweet elderly nurse rocking him when I walked into the recovery room.

Our good friends, the Beams, happened to be staying with us that day on their way to house hunt in Houston, so they were able to stay with Ryan which made it so much better for all of us. This picture was taken after we got home from the surgery. Both of my boys are in love with baby Carmendy. Jackson says he is going to eat her all gone because she is so cute!

2010-09-03T21:12:00.000-06:00

4th of July

We celebrated the 4th of July at Andy's(Em's fiance) house with his family.

There were lots of little boys to play with.

They talked Andy's best friend Chade into throwing them on the love sacks(jumbo bean bags).

Super Jackson

Jackson was not a fan of the fireworks. He doesn't even like me to pop the bubbles when I chew gum, so that didn't surprise me. I hear "No pop Mama," all the time.

Ryan loved them though. He was shooting off roman candles like a champ.

2010-09-03T20:17:00.000-06:00

Bride to Bling

We surprised Aunt Em with a little Bachelorette party the week before her wedding.

We went to see the Spazmatics after dinner. They are an awesome 80's cover band and it was a lot of fun.

2010-08-29T21:26:00.000-06:00

Riverwalk Fun

My Aunt Sheri and Uncle Richard came to San Antonio to visit us in July. We met for dinner at Casa Rio on the Riverwalk.

Ryan loved feeding chips to the ducks.

He also loved getting to play with Zach and Zoe.

Jackson loved the queso! Every last drop apparently! he is such a little dipper.

We promised Ryan a ride on the boat if he was good during dinner. It was getting late, but we had to keep our promise. The boys did great and had a blast on the boat.

My bro and his girlfriend went along for the ride too.

Aunt Sheri taught Ryan to scream when we went under the bridges. There were a lot of bridges! It was funny for the first couple though.

2010-08-29T20:53:00.004-06:00

June 2010

I am finally trying to catch up on my blog. Here are a few of the highlights from June. We brought these masks back from our cruise to Mexico. Ryan and Daddy had fun playing "superheros" together.

"Reading" to his little brother

Nona and Grandpa bought us 5 trees for our yard ( 3 crepe myrtles and 2 red oaks). The boys had a blast "helping" and getting dirty! Hopefully we can have some shade before we have to move in a few years!

We have had a lot of popsicles this summer!!!!!

Ry loves his little doggies

We made aprons for Grandpa, Papa, and Daddy for Father's Day.

My Mom and Dad offered to pay for a babysitter one morning a week and it was great! It gave me a chance to get a few things done around the house and catch up on my editing. The boys loved Kate as much as I did.

Trying to sneak up on the butterflies. I can't even count how many lizards, grasshoppers, and butterflies he has caught this summer. He loves his bugs!

2010-07-29T16:42:00.000-06:00

Who needs swimming lessons? Not Ryan! I see swim team in this kid's future. I ca't think of a better way to get all of his energy out which is why the pool has been our second home this summer.

2010-07-29T14:10:00.001-06:00

Cruisin' to Mexico

Time to play a little catch up. We went on a cruise the day after Nate finished his first year of med school. Nate wasn't sure he was going to like getting "stuck on a boat", but we both had a great time. We had a chance to try our first of many buffets as soon as we got on board.

The second night of the cruise was formal night. It was fun to get all dressed up for a change.

We spent most of our time on the Serenity deck (adults only) at the back of the ship. This was my view for the next several days and we even saw a few dolphins swimming on the last day at sea.

We didn't get off the ship in Progresso, but we did get off in Cozumel for the day.

Nate tried on a few boots with "mexican socks" while we were shopping in Mexico.

I guess this is how Mexicans like to entertain themselves. The boys are climbing a greased pole and can keep whatever they can reach at the top. We never saw anyone actually get anything, but it was pretty funny to watch.

After a little shopping, we went to Chankanaab beach to snuba and snorkeling.

"Scuba Steve" was a little sunburned that day, so he had to wear this cool yellow shirt.

The dessert buffet that Nate visited very frequently. It was always full of yummy desserts and nate would come back to our table with 4 at a time!

We always had fun animals waiting on our bed when we got back to our room at night. I went to the class to learn how to make them for the boys. I think I should have bought the book though. I can't even remember how to make the snake now!

We had a great time and it was a much needed vacation for both of us. Thanks Mimi and Papa for the trip and for watching our boys!

2010-07-18T23:19:00.002-06:00

Jackson's Top 10 at 2

I'm just a little behind on my posts. Still trying to catch up on my shoots. It is pretty sad that Jackson asks if I am going to a photo shoot every time I walk out the front door.

Our happy little Jackson turned 2 at the end of May. Nona and Grandpa(P Paw) came up to take us out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse. We never take the kids out to eat, but they both did great. Ryan liked to peel the peanuts and Jackson liked to eat them. It made for an enjoyable dinner. We put 2 candles in an Oreo cakester for dessert that night. I was already in pre-cruise mode and didn't feel like going all out with a cake.

We invited a few friends over for a little Monster party when we got back since he is our happy little monster! I found a cute idea for Monster cupcakes. They were really easy and turned out really cute.

Jackson is in love with baby girls...but especially Carmendy (Ca yee). They moved to Dallas a few months ago, but he still asks for her.

10. He is scared of dogs. He liked to look at them, but gets very concerned when they get close to him.

9. Loves to eat, but has become a picky eater. Speaking of food, Nate found him in the kitchen the other morning and he had poured his own bowl of cheerios!

8. Thinks he is hilarious. When I ask him how old he is, he says "Jack Jack 4 and Ry Ry 2." He also tries to put me in time out " Mama T out." " I tired, I go night night" is another funny phrase.
7. He is a climber! I am happy to report that he did stay in his crib 10 months longer than his brother though. I have also found him climbing up the shelves in the pantry and standing on top of the trash can! It is amazing we haven't had a trip to the ER yet!
6. He is very protective of his brother. He tries to defend Ryan if he is in trouble and gets very upset when Mommy gets tickled by Daddy or Ryan. He will cry until they stop tickling me.
5. He is a little charmer and says things like "Mama cute." He even told a stranger in the grocery store she was cute. He loves to give kisses too.
4. He loves to clean. He is always asking to sweep or vacuum. Ryan spilled something the other day and Jackson ran into the bathroom to get toilet paper to clean up the mess. He unrolled the entire roll to reach the spot. He doesn't like it when things are dirty. The irony is that it is usually his mess.
3. He LOVES to color! (Ca wee) He also knows almost all of his colors too.
2. He loves his brother. He always asks to see him when he wakes up from his nap. Ryan is usually still sleeping and a few times he has snuck in his room to wake him up.
1. He is a Mama's boy just like his big brother! He loves his Daddy, but he will choose me every time. He gets upset if I am not the one to put him to bed at night. It is exhausting at times, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

2010-05-26T21:04:00.007-06:00

Mother/Son Speedway Spectacular

There aren't many opportunities for Mother/Son dates, so I jumped at the chance to take Ryan when our neighbor invited us. Unfortunately, this was the start of my pink eye, so I will spare you the pics of the two of us together. My eye was pretty swollen by the end of the night. Ryan had a blast even though it rained almost the entire time we were there.

They had reptiles

and race cars
and go carts

The race cars only did a few laps due to the rain. We ran into Ryan's friend Ross from preschool too.
Ry loved the race track they had set up in the craft area. I had to take the crafts home to do later because all he wanted to do was race the cars down the track.
We finished the night off with a limo ride around the race track. It felt like the limo was going to tip over on the turns.

Thanks for a fun date Ryan. I can't wait to do it again next year with you and Jackson!

2010-05-22T21:58:00.007-06:00

First Swim and Splash pad

We went to the pool for the first time a few weeks ago. Ryan was so excited to show Jackson how to go down the slide.

I really think he will be swimming on his own in a few weeks.
Jackson wasn't as excited about the pool.
He was very slow to test the water and happy to sit on the side and eat snacks. Thankfully we have been back a few times since then and he actually wants to get in now.
We also went to the splash pad for a birthday party for one of Ryan's friends. Ryan and Ross were a little cold since it was really windy that day. Ross's Dad is Italian. Don't you love the Italian swimsuit?
Jackson was loving the wagon ride until Ryan pulled him right through the circle of water behind them.

2010-05-22T20:53:00.004-06:00

Race for the Cure

We did the Race for the Cure again this year and had a lot of fun. I think the walk from the car to the starting line was longer than the actual race.

Ryan wanted to ride his scooter this year, so we decided to do the shorter family walk instead. I am so glad we did because he was asking me to carry him as we were walking across the overpass to start the race!
Jackson needed a little break from the stroller. He was running as fast as his little legs would let him.

They gave out Skinny Cow ice cream again this year.

Ryan found this spot on the walk back to the car and said, " Mommy, this looks like a great spot to take a picture." He knows how to make his Mommy smile!

2010-05-22T20:52:00.000-06:00

A few months ago, Jackson had what I thought was eczema on his leg. I started putting Ryan's cream on it and it only got worse. This was the original spot and it got a lot worse than this, but I didn't take another picture.

Then it spread all over his body and they said it was ringworm. We treated it like ringworm, but the medicine didn't help at all. We went back to the eczema cream again and it finally started to clear up.

We put band aids on him at night and I am not kidding you when I say it took 30 minutes just to put cream/band aids on all of his spots. That was fun. Well Jackson did have fun playing with all the band aids.

At least the band aids made him look like a tough football player!

2010-05-17T22:02:00.004-06:00

Ryan's Preschool Party

Ryan was so excited to celebrate his birthday at school. Mostly because he knew I was bringing cupcakes.

The class decorated a birthday sign for him.
Since he loves bugs, I decided to do something a lot less time consuming and made these bug cupcakes for his class.

Each child gets to pick a book to keep on their birthday. Ryan was going through the books like he already knew the one he wanted. He chose a really cute book called Llama llama Red Pajama. It is about a Mommy llama and a little boy llama.
We had a few cupcakes left over from the party, so we ate them in the front yard together when we got home.
I love the expression on Jackson's face!
This looks like a sweet picture right? It looks like Ryan is sharing his cupcake with his brother.
But what he is actually doing is asking his brother to trade cupcakes after he licked all the icing off of his cupcake.
Jackson doesn't look very upset about it. He is lucky his brother is still too little to understand what happened.

2010-05-17T22:01:00.000-06:00

The Big 4

I'm only a month behind on blogging Ryan's birthday, but better late than never. The pictures loaded in reverse order again. We did our birthday tradition of pancakes for dinner, since we were busy getting ready his birthday party that morning.

Uncle Adam came by in afternoon to play and had a water gun fight with Ryan.

Daddy got in on it too.

My friend Jennifer and her daughter Madison came by too, but Madison wasn't sure if she liked Ryan's hugs.

We waited until after the party to open presents.

How do you get 16 kids to pose for a picture? Tell them they can't get their party favor until they do it.

I was worried I didn't have enough games planned for them, but they had a blast just playing in the backyard.

We did have one game of Pin the Licence Plate of the Monster Truck. I made a license plate for each child out of post-it notes.

My little "Ladies Man" wanted to invite all of his friend's big sisters to his party too.

Jackson took his turn coloring the monster truck too.

Happy Birthday Ryan!

2010-05-12T21:19:00.003-06:00

FREEBIES for the Week

I was actually owed $.66 cents at Kroger after I "bought" the deodorants with my coupons. She couldn't pay me, but free is good enough for me.

2010-05-12T21:17:00.001-06:00

Going Private

After much discussion, we have decided to make the blog private. If you would like an invitation, leave a comment with your email address.

2010-05-12T20:41:00.002-06:00

Fire Station

We went to the Fire Station again this year with MOPS. This first picture just makes me laugh. I couldn't find a pick where Jackson wasn't grabbing my chest. This is the real "us" I guess.

One of the firemen dressed up in all of his gear and showed the kids how to crawl out of the building on their hands and knees. Ryan was terrified of him last year.

Jackson was not in the mood for pictures that day.
Ryan was all smiles!

2010-05-08T18:44:00.004-06:00

Easter 2010

We tried to focus on the real reason for celebrating Easter this year. I made this at MOPS and Ryan was so excited to open up a new egg each night and read the scripture together at dinner. I think it was mostly because he kept hoping there was going to be candy in at least one of them.

The boys did an Easter egg hunt at Nona and Grandpa's on Easter morning (I can't find the pics at the moment) and we took them to a park to hunt for Easter eggs with Mimi and Papa in the afternoon. Ryan was really sweet with Jackson and helped him find some of the Easter eggs.

This one makes me laugh!

We went back to Mimi and Papa's house after the hunt to decorate Easter eggs.

2010-05-07T23:46:00.004-06:00

Easter Weekend Zoo trip

Life has been a little crazy trying to start my photography business, but a good crazy. Blogging has definitely taken a backseat for awhile, but I wanted to catch up on a few highlights in the last two months. We went down to San Antonio for Easter weekend and made a trip to the Zoo since it was too busy during Spring Break. The pics loaded in reverse order. We took a train ride after the Zoo and Jackson fell asleep. I think it was his first train ride since he was a baby and he screamed the entire time. This one was much more enjoyable.

Jackson is pointing to the little hole he squeezed through at one of the train stops. He was standing next to the train before Daddy even noticed he wasn't next to him. He sat on my lap for the rest of the train ride.

Papa loved having an excuse to get ice cream with the boys.

We did a little fishing too.

This was actually Nate's first trip to the Zoo. Doesn't he look excited?

He was still really tired from staying up all night to study for a test, but Jackson wouldn't let him rest on the bench.

I thought this picture was so precious. Ryan was so excited to show his brother all of his favorite animals at the zoo. "Look baby...see the jaguar." Ry still calls Jackson "baby" sometimes.

Ryan looks so big in this picture. Look at those long legs!

2010-04-27T21:23:00.002-06:00

My photography website is finally done thanks to Nate!

www.myluluphotography.com

I just took Jackie's family pictures and a few of them are on there too.

2010-04-17T20:15:00.004-06:00

I was up very late last night decorating Ryan's cake, so I will have to save the rest of the birthday post for another day. I wasn't sure it was worth it until I heard him tell me tonight,

"Wow Mom.....That sure was one cool cake." Happy Birthday Ryan!

2010-04-12T22:47:00.002-06:00

The H Family

This was my first family shoot that didn't involve young kids. I have known this family for a few years now which made it even more fun. Wow.... was it easy to just say,"sit here and smile."

The girls were even willing to get a few grass stains for me

2010-03-30T22:28:00.006-06:00

Ryanisms

(picking him up from the gym)

Me: Ryan..it is time to go home.

Ryan: Come back in 10 minutes. I don't have all of my energy out yet!

I love that my boys love the gym almost as much as I do. I have a Mom confession. I went to the gym the other day just to take a shower ALONE without any screaming or whining. I wasn't feeling well, so I didn't work out. Just dropped them off to take a shower. It was heavenly!

(before church)

Ryan: When I have a car, I'm not going to church!

(I was looking for places in town to take pictures, but Ryan thought we were train hunting)

Ryan: Mommy, are you going to take pictures of me?

Me: No. I didn't bring your clothes.

Ryan: But I want to show Daddy how cute I am.

(we did a fundraiser at MOPS for a pregnancy clinic in town that provides prenatal care for mothers who can't afford it and supplies(diapers, car seats, etc.) for their babies)

Me: Ryan, would you like to give some of your money to help the Mommies and babies?

Ryan: I want to give ALL of my money so the Mommies can get the things that they need for their babies like blankets.

Me: That is very sweet, but you don't have to give all of your money.

Ryan: I want to give it all so they can get more stuff.

There are many days when I feel like throwing in the towel, but it is moments like this that make it all worth it. I guess we are doing something right.

2010-03-30T22:26:00.002-06:00

22 months

I can't believe my baby boy is two months away from turning 2! He has finally started talking and loves to repeat everything his brother says. (Not always a good thing!) My favorite is when I start counting to get Ryan to do something and he will start counting with me and then say NOW! I give the boys fruit snacks when they wake up from their nap. Jackson woke up first the other day so he had already had his when Ryan woke up. I told him he already had one and he said "two"? I had to give him another for being so smart. He calls himself "Yack Yack". NO, out, mine, walk, cookie (key key) are just a few of his new words. He made me laugh yesterday when I went through the drive-thru at CVS. He was upset when we left that he didn't get any food. The funny thing is that we only eat fast food when we are traveling which is very rare. That boy still loves his food. He also loves to hunt for bugs with Ryan, wear Mommy's shoes, and vacuum. He also LOVES to color(co wee) and asks to do it several times a day. He saw Nate highlighting his book and wanted to color too.

2010-03-24T20:46:00.000-06:00

Future Pilot

We took the boys out to the Air Force base while we were in San Antonio.We let Ryan ride his bike around the running track that runs right next to the runway. I think we saw at least 10 jets take off and land. Ryan was in heaven! He loved waving to the pilots as they went by us. Jackson liked the airplanes, but wasn't so sure of the loud noise.

2010-03-17T21:49:00.004-06:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Our original plan was to take the kids to the zoo today with Mimi and Papa, but the zoo was a ZOO! The line outside was enough to make us keep driving. We found this newly restored Kiddie park on our way out, so that became our plan B. Ryan has been begging us to take him to a carnival, so he finally got his wish.

Jackson's first carousel ride
Waiting for their turn on the train
Ryan was excited to "race" his brother

Jackson loved the cars and started crying when it stopped. He liked giving Papa fives too.

Our favorite part.....the car ride home:)

2010-03-17T21:08:00.002-06:00

Miss Olivia

Nate is building me a photography website over Spring break which I am super excited about, but I needed some more newborn pics. My friend Amy let me practice on her precious little Olivia. The only problem is it didn't help my baby girl fever! I think newborns are my new favorite to photograph.

2010-03-11T21:13:00.004-07:00

I found Ryan racing around the tricycle track when I surprised him at preschool to open the meadow. I think he was more excited to see his brother (he calls him baby) than he was that I was there to open the meadow.

2010-03-11T21:00:00.001-07:00

Fishing in the meadow

Ryan's preschool has a meadow with tadpoles and minnows that the parents can come and open during their outside time. Ryan has been asking me to come open the meadow since he started preschool, but Jackson is usually napping the entire time he is at school. He took a short nap today, so I decided I better go and open it before it gets too hot outside. I think I had about ten kids in there at one time. We caught about 50 minnows and 1 tadpole.

Jackson had fun watching the kids and eating his animal crackers.

One happy little boy! I really do have nice jeans for him, but I don't let him wear them to school. They are all about getting dirty with mud and paint.

2010-03-10T13:20:00.003-07:00

Weekend with Mimi

My Mom came to visit us last weekend and we had lots of fun. We took the boys with us to get pedicures because Nate was busy studying. I think it will be more relaxing for both of us if we do it in shifts next time.

My Mom watched Jackson while Ryan and I went to the pajama party at church.
Ryan with all the girls....I am not ready for that yet!
My Mom took us out to lunch and we ordered takeout Chinese for dinner! No clean up...that is my kind of day!
We also made a trip to the park to feed the ducks to enjoy the nice weather. Only one duck at a piece of bread and no one fell in, so I guess it was a success!

Jackson fell asleep in church which NEVER happens. I guess Mimi wore him out:) Thanks for the company Mom! I can't wait to do it again.

2010-03-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

Steal of the Week

I bought both of these at Target for a total of $1.71 after I get my $5.00 rebate in the mail! I could have actually made $3.00 if I had noticed the $3.00 off coupon on the box. I also got three free deodorants, crest kids toothpaste and a few other freebies. The deal ends Saturday. Go to www.southernsavers.com to print your coupons.

2010-03-04T21:17:00.000-07:00

2010-03-03T21:34:00.006-07:00

A few of my favorites

I took the boys to a park to practice with my camera a few weeks ago. Jackson refused to look at the camera, but I think I got a few good ones.

Ryan was humoring me with a few smiles.

2010-03-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

Gatorfest

Ryan's future elementary school had their annual carnival last Saturday. Ryan keeps asking me when he is going to be big enough to go to the "alligator school." I think he is going to be very disappointed if he realizes it isn't going to be a carnival everyday. They had a cute little train that went around the track and Jackson was actually big enough to ride it too. The chose the John Deere car of course. Doesn't he look so big in this picture?

Ryan is usually terrified of mascots, Easter bunny, or anyone dressed up in a costume where he can't see their face. I guess he is finally over that fear.

Nate just finished another big test, so he took a little study break to go with us.

Ryan loved holding all the animals. He wasn't very interested in playing all the games. He kept asking to go back and see the animals again.

The snake was his favorite!

I think the baby alligator was a close second.

2010-03-02T21:41:00.003-07:00

Snow Day with Daddy

We got snow last week and convinced Daddy to ditch the library and come home and play with us!

I'm not sure who is having more fun?

Jackson could barely move in his ski bib and jacket, but he still found a way to splash in the puddles and soak himself.

This picture was taken earlier in the afternoon. It was coming down pretty good.

2010-02-24T22:11:00.002-07:00

Brothers

Ryan can't wait for Jackson to wake up every morning and has to be the first one to greet him in his crib. He always asks if Jackson can play before he eats his breakfast. Ryan loves to dress like his brother too. (which I love) The other night he asked me what pj's Jackson was wearing because he wanted to wear the same ones. No one can make Jackson laugh like Ryan can. Jackson loves to do whatever his brother is doing (this isn't always a good thing). I found a quote that I think fits them perfectly. "Of all the toys I have to play, I'd choose my brother any day."I hope they will always be this close. Don't get me wrong...they definitely have their fair share of fights. maybe the next post will be a picture of one of those:)

2010-02-22T21:47:00.004-07:00

Weekend with Aunt Emmy

Aunt Emmy came to visit us last weekend. It was nice to have some company and extra help with the boys. We made cookies, went on a bike ride to the park, and stayed up way too late watching the first season of Private Practice and waiting for Nate to get home from the library. Thanks for a fun weekend Em!

2010-02-20T22:56:00.004-07:00

Resolution #2

The Grocery Game. A few years ago, I had a friend in college who was always getting free stuff and amazing deals with coupons, but it seemed like a lot of work to me. I have another friend now who is also a coupon genius and has taught me how to play the game without pending a lot of time doing it. My first trip was the amazing diaper deal last year, but this is going to be a weekly thing now. Here was my first shopping trip:

CVS trip

Shampoo: $2.99 with $2 back ECB

Toothpaste: $2.99 with $2 back ECB

Walgreens trip

Razor: $8.99 with $4 back

Body wash: $4.79

Coupons used:

$1 off toothpaste

$4 off razor

FREE body wash with purchase of razor

My net total for both stores was $2.47 if you subtract all the money( extra care bucks) I got back! It should have been $20.19. (88% savings)

There are so many websites now that help you "play" the game, so it doesn't take a lot of time and effort.

If you are interested, go to www.southernsavers.com. It will give you deals each week at Target, Kroger, CVS, and Walgreens.

P.S. Tiffany R...this post was for you!

2010-02-20T20:38:00.004-07:00

Valentine's Day fun

Ryan LOVES to help me in the kitchen, so we made cupcakes and cookies for Daddy and for our friends. I think his favorite part was driving around delivering them to his friends.

Jackson wanted to help too.

Jackson has been sick for the last week and after a chest x-ray on Thursday we discovered he has pneumonia. The doctor called him a "happy wheezer" because he wasn't acting very sick in the office, but after two hours of constant crying I knew something wasn't right. He is so good about taking his breathing treatments and even goes to get the medicine for me.

2010-02-16T22:57:00.000-07:00

Ready for Spring

It was finally warm enough to play outside today. The boys were anxious to play on their swing set again and I have been dying to practice using my camera. I am proud to say I shot all of these in manual mode and didn't even have to "fix" them in photo shop! I think I found my new obsession. I just took 2134 pictures off my camera from just the last 6 months. Do you think I like to take pictures? I can't wait for the grass to be green again and for Texas Bluebonnets!

I guess Ryan isn't tired of getting his picture taken yet? He even gave me a thumbs up.

2010-02-11T17:04:00.001-07:00

The Potty Times

I am sooooo not ready to do potty training all over again. Jackson has shown a slight interest in the potty, so I guess I better get on board too. It would be nice to get him out of diapers, but this isn't my first rodeo and I know what a long process we have ahead of us. Ryan was very supportive and read him a few books while we waited for him "to go".

He read a few on his own too. This kid LOVES books. The first thing he says when I get him out of his crib in the morning is book and points to his book basket. He bring me books ALL day long too.

The proud pooper!!!! I'm sure he will kill me for this post someday. I would be more excited if I thought this was actually the start of real potty training.....but maybe I'll get lucky and he will be my easy one. I can hope right?

2010-02-01T21:03:00.003-07:00

Resolution #1

I have wanted to get into photography for a few years now and this year I am finally going to do it. Here are a few pictures from my first photo shoot. Her Mom needed me to babysit for a few hours, so it was the perfect opportunity to play with my camera. The shoot was cut short due to Ryan and Jackson waking up from their naps, but I think I got a few good ones. Isn't she beautiful? Carmendy is also my new model for my hair bows too.

2010-01-31T20:45:00.003-07:00

Bows and Worms

I started selling bows and well........... since I don't have a girl....Jackson had to model them for me. Click on the luluchic link on the side of my blog for more pictures if you are interested.

He wasn't very excited about it, so I had to bribe him with candy. The funny thing was that I caught him playing in the bag of bows this morning and trying to put them on. He does make a very cute little girl.

While Jackson is modeling bows, Ryan is bringing me worms. He loves to search for worms and bring them to me as "presents".

No worries....He is all boy too! About 5 minutes after I took this picture, his jeans were wet up to his knees from jumping in puddles with his brother.

2010-01-24T22:40:00.002-07:00

Just a few things I don't want to forget.........

Ryan: Chloe is my girlfriend. She follows directions.
Me: She would probably like a boy that follows directions too. ( a Mom can try right?)

Last Sunday he came in our bathroom before church asking for big enormous spikey hair like the big boys at church. My baby is definitely growing up fast!

He also gets to pick out a small toy at the end of church as a reward for being good. Two weeks in a row he has picked out a bracelet for me. They are meant for little girls, so I could barely get them on my wrist. Nate keeps teasing me that I am going to have a whole arm full if I don't stop making a big deal about it. I told him to pick something out for himself today, but he still picked a heart bracelet for me. I couldn't even get that one on, so he gave it to another little girl at church. I have been wearing the bracelets to remind me to have more patience with him.

We watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs last Friday night and when the music came on for the credits, Ryan said," Mommy, it's making me move." He couldn't stop dancing.

2010-01-20T20:57:00.007-07:00

Is Daddy a doctor yet?

I may have already posted this story, but now I have a few pics to go with it. A few months ago Ryan asked me in a very frustrated voice while kicking his foot on the ground if Daddy was a doctor yet?

Me: Not yet

Ryan: I don't want him to be a doctor.

Me: Why not?

Ryan: Because I want him to be here with us!

He says that HE wants to be the doctor. He loves to play doctor with Jackson.

The boys try to get Daddy's attention while he is studying by putting their fingers under the door.
We just repainted the office, so Nate's coyote is laying on the guest bed in Jackson's room. Jackson is a little afraid of dogs, but he loves to pet the coyote as long as we are right next to him. He is peeking into his room to see the "doggie." Check out the left foot of his pj's. They were Ryan's and it just shows how much shorter Jackson is than Ryan was at the same age. I finally took him in for his 18 month checkup and he is still in the 25% for height and now 75% for weight. That boy loves his food! Nate says Jackson reminds him of John Daly with his chubby face and long blonde hair. He completes the look by carrying his ball and golf club all over the house.

Jackson has started reminding us to pray at dinner every night. As soon as Nate and I sit down to eat, he folds his arms with a big smile on his face.

Just a cute pic of Ryan sharing his yogurt with Jackson.
This one just makes me laugh

2010-01-11T21:11:00.004-07:00

One of the things I love about Ryan being in a big boy bed is getting to snuggle with him for a few minutes before bed. Apparently he is pretty fond of it too.

Me: Ryan, who do you want to lay with you tonight?
Ryan: Mommy (9 out of 10 times it is Mommy)
Daddy: Why can't Daddy lay with you tonight?
Ryan: Daddy you already laid with me for a LONG LONG time?
Daddy: When did I lay with you?
Ryan: When Mommy was at Santa's Wonderland

I guess he is making up for lost time:) I enjoyed the break from the nightly routine, but I did miss kissing them goodnight. Even though it is the hardest job in the world, I am so thankful that I get to stay at home with my boys.

2010-01-08T20:17:00.005-07:00

Jackson Update

I love kisses from my sweet Jackson....I think this one turned into a bite though!
He has become quite the little dare devil. He likes to jump from the ottoman to the coach. He thinks it is funny when he face plants on the coach or the floor.
Playing peek a boo
He is getting 5 teeth all at once, but is still such a happy little boy!
He has started telling on his brother. He points at Ryan and cries Ry Ry and I know he has either pushed him over or taken one of his toys.
He has also started folding his arms and shaking his head no when he doesn't want to do something. What a little stinker face!
He has also started folding his arms to pray with us.
and then there are the tantrums....thankfully there have only been a few
but this one made me laugh...he had to look up to see if I was watching him:)

2010-01-08T19:11:00.006-07:00

Ryan Update

Ryan graduated from Nursery to Primary last Sunday. That means no more toys and snacks and having to sit in a chair and pay attention to a lesson. They said he did really well. I think preschool has really helped him prepare for the move. I think I might have to peek in next week just to see it for myself.

Holding Conner's little sister Carmendy.....he really wants a little sister and always asks to hold baby girls. I think he will be a lot more help the next time around.(not an announcement)
Who needs a tee? This kid can hit it across the yard almost every time. I can't wait to put him in soccer this fall.
He still LOVES to be outside and can swing on the rocket by himself. Thanks again Mom and Dad for the swing set. It is going to be a great spring!!!
He loves to do art projects. He does a lot of them at school which is fine with me. I am not a huge fan of the mess. I decided to pull this one out today, since it was 20 degrees outside.

I love this little boy to pieces, but he challenges my patience every single day. He has a very strong will and when he wants to do something..well he just does it no matter what the punishment is. He rarely follows directions and it drives me up the wall! I don't know if it is just the age or his personality, but I am hoping he will grow out of it very soon!!!! I told him he was really going to be in trouble when Jackson can talk and tell me what he is doing to him. He thought about it for a second and then said, " I won't take his toys or push him when he can talk." I can only hope that is true!

2010-01-02T19:57:00.003-07:00

More fun in St. George

We played a round of golf with Nate's Dad while we were in St. George. I haven't played since I was pregnant with Ryan. It took me a few holes to warm up, but I finally got my drive back. The course was beautiful with amazing views of the mountains.

I think we each lost about 4 balls on this hole before making it on the green.
We took Ryan ice skating for the first time too. He couldn't wait for the zamboni to finish, so he could get back out on the ice. I hadn't been ice skating since high school and I think it had been longer than that for Nate.

We went to Walmart on Christmas eve for a stocking stuffer run and a lady collapsed right behind me in line. I had to call 911 and Nate's Dad came to help her while we waited for the ambulance to get there. It turned out her blood pressure was through the roof, so they took her to the hospital. They sent a fire truck too and one of the firemen gave Ryan a fire hat.